3. David Onyemata
If the Falcons were to cut the veteran defensive lineman this offseason they would save $8-million in cap space. This is the same amount of dead cap the team would take on to part ways with the veteran. All of the arguments apply here that were just covered with Grady Jarrett. The defensive line was expected to be the strongest unit for the Falcons heading into the season.
After investing heavily in the draft, Atlanta had a starting duo of Onyemata and Jarrett with a young rotation behind the veterans. Things didn't go as planned with Atlanta struggling to get to the quarterback and to stop the run. So much money and so many draft picks sunk into the defensive line and the results were less than impressive.
When you have this much invested in one position group and things go so badly it is absolutely on the table to blow it all up. The Falcons could simply look at the 2024 results and conclude things couldn't get any worse. Giving the team a fresh start and focusing on building around young talent. It is at least a consideration as the team attempts to rebuild the defense.